Google TV has struggled to gain adoption in consumer’s living rooms, but it’s one of my favorite Android powered platforms and I believe it still has huge potential left. VIZIO recently started selling the $99 Co-Star and this week Hisense and Samsung both announced they would offer Google TV products later this year.

The Hisense Pulse is a small Google TV box, very similar to the Co-Star in design. It features the same connectivity options, including HDMI input and output, USB, Ethernet and built-in Wi-Fi, and is expected to debut in mid-November for “under $99.” I can’t really see any advantages that the Pulse offers over the Co-Star, but we have yet to review either device.

Update your TV every year with the Smart Evolution Kit.

Next we had Samsung announce their Smart TV with Google TV at IFA 2012. Normally I wouldn’t recommend a TV with Google TV already baked in, but Samsung’s offering includes their Smart Evolution Kit. This allows you upgrade your Smart Evolution enabled TV without having to replace the whole set. Just purchase a new Evolution Kit each year and it will include a faster processor and the latest technology.

If you have been on the fence about purchasing a Google TV device, what is holding you back?

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Yes, you don’t need a cable box to use Google TV. It works with lots of streaming services including Netflix, Amazon VOD, Plex, etc. Also includes Chrome browser and Google Play store where you can download a growing number of apps.

I definitely want to get the Vizio Co-Star at this point. I got a Roku 2 for my dad earlier this year and have used it and it works great. Right now the Co-Star is way ahead of the Roku and I don’t know when a Roku 3 will even be announced, let alone be released.

Also, that Hisense box looks like a really really bad rip off of the Vizio Co-Star. It has a similar tapered square box and a remote with a touch pad and a Netflix button and stuff. It just looks like it is way lower quality. The remote is actually one of the major things I love about the Co-Star. Especially the full qwerty on back AND the d-pad and a,b,x,y buttons.

Also, I really don’t like this idea of the “evolution kit” on the Samsung. Yes, it is nice to be able to upgrade it to keep up with certain features and speed. But, how much is that going to cost? These boxes already only cost about $100, and you can hook them up to any TV so they are much more versatile. The only way the evolution kit would make sense to me is if Samsung charged $50 or less for the upgrades but I don’t think that is very probable.

I have the CoStar and the new Sony STB- both work much better than the 1st iterations of GoogleTV. Adding PLEX to them greatly enhances their functionality. and for a 1st time buyer I would highly recommend the CoStar over a Roku or AppleTV. GoogleTV has much more capability over either of those STBs despite the lack of a dedicated HuluPlus app.Amazon needs to make a better app on GTV but you can access most everything on the CoStar that you can on Roku or AppleTV. (including airplay like functionality for most smartphones.

Yes, you don’t need a cable box to use Google TV. It works with lots of streaming services including Netflix, Amazon VOD, Plex, etc. Also includes Chrome browser and Google Play store where you can download a growing number of apps.

I definitely want to get the Vizio Co-Star at this point. I got a Roku 2 for my dad earlier this year and have used it and it works great. Right now the Co-Star is way ahead of the Roku and I don’t know when a Roku 3 will even be announced, let alone be released.

Also, that Hisense box looks like a really really bad rip off of the Vizio Co-Star. It has a similar tapered square box and a remote with a touch pad and a Netflix button and stuff. It just looks like it is way lower quality. The remote is actually one of the major things I love about the Co-Star. Especially the full qwerty on back AND the d-pad and a,b,x,y buttons.

Also, I really don’t like this idea of the “evolution kit” on the Samsung. Yes, it is nice to be able to upgrade it to keep up with certain features and speed. But, how much is that going to cost? These boxes already only cost about $100, and you can hook them up to any TV so they are much more versatile. The only way the evolution kit would make sense to me is if Samsung charged $50 or less for the upgrades but I don’t think that is very probable.

I have the CoStar and the new Sony STB- both work much better than the 1st iterations of GoogleTV. Adding PLEX to them greatly enhances their functionality. and for a 1st time buyer I would highly recommend the CoStar over a Roku or AppleTV. GoogleTV has much more capability over either of those STBs despite the lack of a dedicated HuluPlus app.Amazon needs to make a better app on GTV but you can access most everything on the CoStar that you can on Roku or AppleTV. (including airplay like functionality for most smartphones.